ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Wednesday sought time to submit his response in a plea filed by PML-N leader Khawaja Asif in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Last week, IHC had issued notice to the premier on a petition by PML-N stalwart Khawaja Asif questioning the legality of the former’s statement in a defamation case.
A single bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah took up the petition. The counsel of PM Imran Khan appeared before the court in today’s hearing and sought time to submit a response in the case.
“My client has not received the notice of the IHC yet,” he added. The bench after accepting the plea of the PM’s counsel adjourned the hearing of the case until Thursday (tomorrow).
Read more: Ali Zaidi shares video of PM Imran’s court appearance in defamation case
On Dec 17, PM Imran Khan recorded his statement before Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Mohammad Adnan through a video link in the defamation suit he had filed against Khawaja Asif in 2012 for levelling allegations about irregularities and money laundering through the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital (SKMCH) funds.
Asif’s petition
In his petition, the PML-N leader said the ADSJ deprived him of his right to cross-examination of the PM Imran Khan.
He said he filed multiple applications for increasing the number of defence witnesses but the judge didn’t decide these applications and instead unilaterally proceeded with the matter.
Asif said the ADSJ recorded the statement of PM Khan in the absence of his counsel.
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